The Beginning of the End
by m00nl1ghtshad0w
Summary: Ed is wanted, dead or alive, by the Fuhrer, for a commiting a crime that would restore his and Al's bodies to normal again. He's in hiding, but what happens when he is found, and what will the Fuhrer do to him if Ed is delivered to him?
1. Chapter 1

This story is different than the original. In this story, Ed doesn't get transported to the other side of the gate. Instead, they find another way of getting their bodies restored. **Disclaimer:** I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, but I wish I did. This is my first fic. I hope you guys like it. Please review, and tell me what you think (seriously, if you think that it is the most horrible thing you have ever read in your entire life, don't be afraid to say so, cause that way, I'll know that I have to improve my stories a lot. I really hope that isn't the case, though.). I apologize in advace for any blurry parts, or spelling/grammar mistakes. Enjoy!

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Night had fallen upon Resembool, and darkness had engulfed the small village. Nothing looked to be out of the ordinary on this particular night. But, in fact, something was unnatural was indeed happening. In a small house, the Pinako Automail workshop, where two beings were to be spending the night as guests, something beyond any child's imagination would take place.

One of the two beings staying in that particular house happened to be the young prodigy that went by the name 'Fullmetal Alchemist'. Although he had become a State Alchemist at the ripe, young age of only twelve, through the years he had travelled and gained much wisdom and experience. He was no longer considered a child. He had evolved into, and was now considered to be a wise, young man.

"Joy to suffering, victory to battle, life to the dead, for that is what the blood-red stone grants. Men honour it with the name 'Philosopher's Stone.' Al, do you know what I hold in my hands?" the young man spoke.

"Yes, brother, I do. You have found it-the Philosopher's Stone!" the noise came from the suit of armour that was standing beside the short teen. It was standing so still, transfixed by the sight in front of him, that, if you didn't know any better, you would think it to be just an ordinary suit of armor. But this particular suit of armor was anything but ordinary.

"No, Al. _We_ found it-you and I. We've come this far, we've given up so much, and we're finally getting our reward." The blood-red stone in his hands began to glow an eerie red, and provided a source of light to the otherwise darkened room. "Tonight will be the night that we finally restore our bodies."

If a suit of armor could smile, this one would be. They both stared at the wondrous stone, and reflected on the misery they evoked in order to obtain this rare object. Though it saddened them both to the core of their souls, they couldn't turn back. They didn't have time to regret past doings. What has been done, has been done, and cannot be undone.

In order to create this stone, hundreds of lives had to be sacrificed. In the country of Creta, the nation that borders Amestris to the west, an uprising had began on Amestris's military. Edward Elric, aka the Fullmetal Alchemist, was called out to perform military duties in that country, and he had been forced to leave his younger brother, Alphonse, behind.

The uprising had been organized by hundreds of thousands of Cretan militants and also, many villagers who resided in Creta. Many had been killed or captured, and Ed had been forced to take lives. The ones who were captured were sentenced to execution. Fuhrer Bradley had decided to use the Cretans who had been sentenced to death to create the Philosopher's Stone, something he had wanted to obtain since the day he became Fuhrer.

Ed was unfortunately, one of the alchemists chosen to perform the alchemy that would create the stone. There was no choice in the matter of whether or not to perform the alchemy. It was either you do the alchemy, or you get charged with treason, and are sentenced to execution.

Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist, was also one of the chosen alchemists, and since he did not trust the Fuhrer one bit with the stone, and since they didn't have a choice whether to make it or not, he came up with a plan. He arranged it so that once the stone was made, Edward would take it, and the other alchemists chosen to create the stone would help Ed escape with it. Edward would then hide with it, restore his body, along with his brother's, and then destroy the stone, for the stone could do much evil in the world, if it were to fall into the wrong hands.

Roy had helped him escape, and had avoided being punished for it by the Fuhrer by going into hiding himself.

The screams of the men, women and children who died to make the stone were still ringing in Ed's ears. The blood that splattered the walls, the sight of souls being ripped out of their bodies-it was the most horrific scene that anyone could imagine.

Ed and Al were currently hiding in the dark basement of their close friends' home with the sacred stone. The military still believed that he was in Creta, for Ed was able to escape across the border unnoticed, and then return to his brother, who was waiting for him in Resembool, without gaining any attention.

Obtaining the stone came at a price, though, a price beyond just the murdering of so many lives. It was a price that chilled Al to the core. The Fuhrer had ordered Edward Elric to be brought to him, dead or alive. But they had to restore their bodies. If they didn't, all their hard work would have been in vain.

"Are you ready?" Ed asked, nervously. _What if the transmutation goes wrong? What if I don't do it right? My little brother is trusting that I will make everything better. That I will make all the evil go away. What if I fail him?_ These were the thoughts going through Ed's head once he seen his younger brother nod, hesitantly. _Why is he hesitant? Is he scared, like I am?_

Al caught onto his brother's thoughts, and placed an armoured hand on top of his brother's flesh one. Most people wouldn't consider that a comforting sign, but Ed wasn't most people. He immediately felt comforted, and ready to perform the task at hand.

They sat beside each other on the floor, with the stone in front of them. Ed had drawn a transmutation circle on the ground, not because he needed it, but because he felt better doing it this way.

"Here it goes, Al", Ed exclaimed, putting on a brave face. Ed and Al, both on their hands and knees now, turned to each other, and nodded. It was almost like the night when they had tried to resurrect their mother. It brought back painful memories, but they had convinced themselves, since their bodies had been lost, that the day they restored their bodies would be the day that would bring back all the happiness that had been sucked out of their world.

"Yup", Al replied, as he crawled into the middle of the circle. They had fed on false hope, and strived to do the impossible. Well, the day had finally come, and these boys were making the impossible, possible.

Ed slowly clapped his hands together and placed them upon the stone, which was now on the floor next to Alphonse. He closed his eyes and concentrated. The stone began to emit a light so bright, that Alphonse had to turn his eyes away. Suddenly, Al felt the feeling of cold, strong wind blow through him, and around him, lashing at him violently, and trying to blow him away.

He couldn't see anything. He could hear someone calling him from far away. He could hear screams and cries of pain. He could hear sobbing, and laughing, all at once. Then, it was silent. All there was was darkness. Then he felt someone shaking him, and calling his name. He tried to move, and was unsuccessful.

"Al!" He heard the voice clearly now. It was coming from his older brother. He fought to make some noise that would give his brother some sign that he could hear him. "Oh, God Al, please be okay!" Ed sat staring at his limp younger brother's recovered body. It lay, motionless, on the damp ground.

"Bro..." Al managed to sputter out. Edward was practically crying tears of joy as he sat and watched Al wake up in his real body. Al opened his eyes, slowly, and brought his now flesh hands up in front of his eyes so that he could get a good look at them. Ed wrapped his red cloak around Al's naked body.

Alphonse sat up slowly, with his older brother supporting him, and ran his pointer finger along the creases of the ground. "It feels so smooth", he whispered. Ed couldn't help but smile at that.

Suddenly, Al reached toward his brother and ran his fingers down his face, then down his own face. He touched Ed's automail, his hair, and interlocked their hands together with his recovered sense of touch. He then embraced his brother, and squeezed him tight, basking in his warmth. Ed relaxed into his grip, and ruffled his hair.

When Al released him, he spoke, "It's your turn, brother."

But as soon as those words came out of his mouth, they heard a large clatter from the floor above them. They heard Winry scream, and Pinako yell something. Ed slipped the stone into his pants pocket, and then nudged Al and hissed, "Hide! I think it's the military!" Al's eyes went wide, and Ed helped him stand up to walk to the designated hiding spot that Pinako told them to go, if such a need should arise. It was a room that was hidden behind a door less wall. Ed would create an entrance into it, and then demolish it once they were inside.

It was hard for Al to take steps in his human form, but he tried as hard as he could. He faltered with each step, but Ed was there to hold him up and give him brotherly support. Then, Al fell, and Ed failed to catch him. He landed with a thud on the ground and cried out in pain. He hadn't experienced pain for years, and he didn't remember how much it _hurt_.

"Brother, leave me and hide yourself. They're after you, not me. Please brother, don't get caught! Who knows what the Fuhrer will do to you once he had you!" Al cried out.

"No way in hell am I abandoning you, Al", Ed replied without hesitation, and worked on trying to get his brother back on his feet again. They were so close to the room that they were to hide in.

The basement door slammed open and dozens of military personnel stormed down the stairs, holding tight to their guns, ready to fire if necessary. "Right where we'd thought he'd be", the troops' commander spat. "We knew Edward Elric would just go crawling back home, where he would believe he was safe. Well, when you're here you're far from safe! This house was the very first place we thought to look."

Ed glared and clapped his hands, poised to do alchemy, when suddenly, Al ran into him, and pushed him down with all the strength he could muster. It wasn't much, but it caught Ed off guard, and he fell into the pile of boxes that were beside him, with his little brother toppled over him.

They were hidden in the pile, and, while trying not to let the militants know exactly where they were in the pile, Ed hissed at Al, "What the hell was that for, Al?"

Then Ed heard the gunshots that were aimed where he was standing. They would have hit him if it weren't for Al. Then the guns were aiming for the pile of boxes they were in, and gunshots rang out in both of the brother's ears. Ed grabbed Al by the wrist, and dragged him out of the boxes, dodging the bullets, and then used alchemy to create a concrete barrier between the soldiers and them.

Al was so weak, and could barely stand. Just a little running had taken so much out of him. "Brother", he gasped. "Please! Go on by yourself. I'm just a burden to you, and I'm slowing you down! If you get shot and taken, it'll be my fault!"

Ed replied, "Al, how many times am I going to have to say this. Why on earth would you believe I would actually leave you behind to save myself?" They heard men yelping in pain as their bullets ricocheted off of the wall between them and the brothers, and hit the ones that who had shot the bullets.

The soldiers that weren't injured came around the left side of the barrier, shooting, and so Ed and Al dashed out the left side, trying not to get hit. They then dashed up the stairs, trying to escape to the main floor where they'd have more room to fight back. One soldier's bullet managed to enter into Ed's flesh arm, and he cried out in pain, with a surprised look on his face that scared Al more than anyone could imagine.

There wasn't time to stop, though, no matter what kind of pain Ed was dealing with. They ran upstairs and out the front door, into the front yard, with the soldiers hot on their heels. Edward couldn't be sure, but he thought he could hear the faint voice of Winry calling to him from somewhere near.

Ed ordered Al to keep running, and then he clapped his hands together, and created a pillar from the ground that smashed into many of their followers. Then Ed caught up with his exhausted brother again, and they ran on.

Gunshots flew through the air, many just missing the Elric brothers, but none hitting them. Al suddenly cried out and fell to the ground, as the continuous run was too hard on his newly acquired body. Ed stopped briefly, and scooped up his little brother, then veered right and entered into the dense forest nearby to the house.

He hid Al's unconscious body in the bushes, after making sure that he was okay. He had just collapsed because of exhaustion and overexertion, and Ed couldn't afford to keep carrying him while running. He also wanted Al to be hidden so that the military bastards who were after them wouldn't find or hurt him.

Ed then continued to run through the forest, not caring where he was going, as long as it was away from his pursuers. Suddenly, something grabbed a hold of his arm, and he flipped around to find that it was only Winry, whose face was tearstained, and her eyes were wide with fear.

"This way", she whispered to him, and she pulled him out of the forest, into the open field, where no militants could be found. They were all in the forest still. Winry then wrapped her arms around him, and held him tight, as she sobbed into his shoulder. "I was scared they had gotten you", she said, as she released him.

Then she saw the bullet in his arm and screamed. Ed clamped a hand over her mouth, and ordered her to shut up, or they'd find them.

The rustling of bushes was enough to get them both to flip around and face the noise. They saw Al's body being pulled out of the bushes by a military dog, and a gun was held to his head. Ed and Winry both gasped, and Ed tried to run to his little brother, but Winry held him back.

"Don't leave me", she cried. "I don't want you taken, too. It's you they want, and Pinako told me that I had to stop you from doing things like this Ed. I'm sorry, but I can't let you rescue him."

Ed struggled and yelled, "Let go of me, dammit!", but Winry's grip didn't loosen. They both watched in equal horror, as Al was stuffed into the back seat of a military patrol car, and the car drove off into the distance, along with several others. No military man was left here, not even the injured ones.

Tears formed in Ed's eyes when Winry finally let go of him. He felt like chasing after the cars, but knew that he wouldn't be able to catch up to them. Winry burst into tears, and sunk to her knees. "I'm sorry, Ed. I'm sorry... I'm sorry."

Ed began to sway, and then he fell to the ground. That's when his world turned an eerie shade of black, and sound was drowned out by silence...

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Don't worry- Edo-kun isn't dead, if thats what you think, and neither is Al. They are both just unconcious. Someone died in this chapter, though, and you'll have to wait until the next chapter comes out (which will be soon) to find out who it was (although you can always take a guess when you leave a review). Thanks for reading, and please please please leave a review!!! ~ m00nl1ghtshad0w


	2. Chapter 2

Here it is! Chapter 2! I hope you guys like it! Please review, and tell me if it's any good, or if I need to improve. Also, I want to thank everyone who took the time to review already. You guys rock! **Disclaimer:** I do _not_ own Fullmetal Alchemist. Sorry if you come across spelling or grammar mistakes, or if you don't understand some parts.

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When Ed came to, he found himself lying in a makeshift bed, in an old building that resembled an abandoned church. His first thought was _Dammit! Those bastards took my brother! It was me that they wanted, so why'd they take Al? _Then it registered in his mind that he was in pain. Not a lot of pain, he'd had much worse, but it was pain enough to bring tears to his eyes, which he held back.

Winry suddenly appeared over him. "You're finally awake!" she exclaimed, in a hoarse voice. She looked like she had been crying, and she also looked completely exhausted and drained of all energy.

"Winry, where are we, and where the hell is Al?" Ed asked. He needed to know that he didn't just imagine his little brother had been kidnapped. A shadow crossed her face, and she looked away from him, as if ashamed. Then she stood up and left. Ed sighed, and closed his eyes again. He knew that he wouldn't be getting a straight answer out of her anytime soon.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming towards him, and he snapped his eyes open. They revealed only the sullen figure of Winry coming back towards him. She was carrying a cloth, though, and when she got to him, she gently laid it on his forehead. It was cool, and felt nice on him, and it calmed him.

"We're in the abandoned church that we, you, Al and I, used to play at when we were younger. Do you remember?" she said.

Ed thought for a moment, and then answered, "Yeah, I remember. The one deep in the forest, right?" Winry nodded, and looked him in the eyes.

"We couldn't stay at that house. They'd find you again, and you're in no condition to be fighting. I bandaged up your bullet wound, and you've been unconscious for about a day..."

"A whole day?" Ed sighed. "Damn, Al's been in their clutches for a whole day. He could be dead right now for all we know!" He was yelling now, and struggled to sit up, but Winry held him down.

"He's not dead!" she shouted at him, her eyes filling with tears.

"How do you know?" Edward shouted back at her, as his eyes blazed with fierce anger. She lightly grabbed his flesh hand, and slipped a folded piece of paper into it. He unfolded it, and skimmed over what was written on it. It read _Edward Elric, you have something that I want, and I have something that you want. I will return to you what you want, unharmed, if you not only return to me what I want, but also drag your lowly self to my doorstep and place yourself at my mercy. If you do not, there will be severe consequences for your loved one who is currently in my possession. For now, he is healthy, uninjured and in a fine living condition, but unless you act soon, we will not hesitate to harm him. Sincerely, Fuhrer President King Bradley._

"Damn it, what the hell am I supposed to do?" Ed muttered. Then he looked up at Winry and said, "How did you find this letter?"

"I found it lying on the ground in the bush where you hid Al", she replied, and then she suddenly burst into tears. Her shoulders shook as she sobbed uncontrollably. Then, she asked Ed, through her sobs, "Do you blame me for Al getting taken?"

Ed, taken aback by her statement, quickly answered without thinking, "You did the right thing. I know I can be a little reckless at times. It's not your fault that the Fuhrer wants me, Winry. I don't blame you at all."

Winry nodded, but continued to silently sob. Ed suddenly exclaimed, "Winry, there's something you're not telling me. Did you find something else with the letter?"

She shook her head, and slowly sobbed, "T-the soldiers... they... t-they killed..." she stopped and burst into a fit of uncontrollable sobs.

Edward used all his strength to sit up, although it hurt, and he placed his metal hand on hers, and she looked up at him. He gave her the best smile he could manage in a situation like this, and it filled Winry with courage.

"Pinako. They... murdered her... in front of my eyes," she finished, looking into his eyes with her hopeless ones. "They pulled a g-gun on her... when she wouldn't get out of their way..."

Ed's eyes went wide with shock, and then they snapped shut, as he collapsed back down onto his makeshift bed. "Shit!" he cried. "It's all my fault! I'm the one who started all this. It was because of me that they showed up at your house, and it was because of me that Pinako died. She died protecting me, dammit!" He was so overcome with guilt that he finally released the tears that he had been holding in. He wasn't scared to cry in front of Winry, so he sobbed, as memories flooded back to him from the day that they had tried to resurrect their mother until now. Everything had always been _his _fault.

When Ed stopped crying, he stared up at Winry with a defeated look in his eyes. She cried out, "I buried her... in the y-yard. I d-didn't have time t-to give her a proper-"

She was interrupted by Ed who said, "It's okay, Winry." He realized the she hadn't had time to do anything else, and she hadn't wanted Pinako's body to lie out in the open. She had also only acted on impulse after witnessing such a terrible crime.

Winry hugged Ed close to her, and cried into his shoulder. She whispered into his ear, "Promise me, Ed, that you'll make everything right again. Don't let Pinako's death have been in vain."

Ed replied, "I promise, and have I ever not gone through with any of my promises?" Winry shook her head, and hugged him tighter. "Ouch!" he cried out as Winry squeezed his arm too tightly, which had pained his bullet wound. She blushed, and immediately released him, and apologized, quite flustered.

Edward began to think back to his childhood days, before they had tried to bring back the dead, and when the only cares he had in the world were fighting with Al to get the top bunk on the bunk bed, or figuring out a way to get away with not having to drink his milk at supper time. He was going to make everything better for Al and Winry. He would protect them with his life. And although he would not be able to make it so life for them could be like what it used to be before death had entered their lives, he could sure as hell try.

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Al sat on the edge of the king sized bed that was located in the room that the Fuhrer had provided for him. In the room there was also a dresser filled with clothes that he could change into, a bedside table with a lamp on it, a chair placed next to a tall bookshelf filled with books, and four floor lamps, one placed in each of the four corners in the room. There was also an adjoining bathroom. Although there were no windows in the room, the lamps offered plenty of light themselves.

They had placed him in this alchemy-proof room only a day ago, and even though there was an occasional servant who would bring meals to his door, he was as lonely as hell, and filled with worry of what would happen to him once they took him out of here. It was good to be able to eat again, but he always thought that when he got his body back, he would eat a huge dinner, surrounded by friends and family at an elaborate table, and everyone would be happy, when he ate for the first time again. That was just a fantasy though, and even if that couldn't come true, he still thought that he'd be eating his first meal with Ed.

He was scared of what condition Ed was in, and where he was. He knew that his brother was injured, but he didn't know to what extent. Al hugged himself, tightly, and softly cried. He had to find some way out of this place. He wasn't able to use alchemy in this room, there was no means of communication to the outside world he could possibly use, there were no windows, and the door was always locked.

_I could try to break down a wall_, Al thought to himself. It would probably be what Ed would do, but Al didn't trust that he was strong enough. But maybe there was something in this room that was.

Alphonse walked over to bedside table, and lifted the lamp off of it. He weighed it in his hands, thoughtfully. Maybe, he could smash this through the wall, and escape through the hole made. He had to make sure that he wouldn't be caught again, though, and since he had no clue as to how to get around the house, he had to figure that out, also.

Al wouldn't just wait around for someone to rescue him. He was going to rescue himself! He was strong enough, and he sure as hell was determined enough. Al couldn't allow Ed to be lured to this place, so he had to act fast, before Ed decided to come.

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Roy Mustang walked swiftly down the busy road. His freshly dyed red hair shimmered in the sunlight, and, so far, not a single soul had recognized him, as he was disguised, which was very good. He was hiding out in the city of New Optain, and was currently on his way to a local bar, to catch up on recent events, and the latest gossip.

He entered the bar, and sat down at the bar counter. "What can I get'cha?" the bartender asked Roy, with a slight chuckle, as he cleaned a mug with a wet rag.

"The finest ale you've got", Roy replied. As the bartender readied his drink, Roy turned to the man next to him, and struck up a conversation. "Any news on that brutal war in Creta?"

The man turned to Roy, and answered, "Yeah, I heard that a bunch of State Alchemists committed treason against the Fuhrer. One in particular, that young kid alchemist. What was his name again..." his sentence trailed on, as he wrinkled his brow in thought.

"I believe you're referring to the Fullmetal Alchemist", Roy spoke up.

"Yeah, yeah! That one! I've heard that the Fuhrer wants him brought to him, dead or alive."

Another voice spoke out, from behind the man, saying, "That's what all the signs say, Berne. Everyone knows that. What I've heard is much more interesting! I heard that the military's got a hold of Fullmetal's younger brother, and is usin' him as bait to lure Fullmetal to the Fuhrer." Roy perked up in immediate interest, and beckoned the man to continue.

The man went on, "They did supposedly know about Fullmetal's whereabouts, but they were only able to get their hands on the younger one."

The bartender gave Roy his drink, and joined in to the conversation saying, "I, quite frankly, could care less about the military scum, and those filthy alchemists. If you ask me, they're the cause of all the trouble and fighting our country has."

"But you have to admit that a lot of what they do benefit the citizens of our country", Roy defended.

The bartender rolled his eyes and continued, "It's always drama with those guys. Our country'd be a lot better without the likes of 'em." Then he went over to serve another customer.

A woman suddenly sat on the empty barstool beside him, and said to him, "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation about the military. I, personally, have to agree with you that most of what they do benefits our country." She had short, black hair and a grim expression upon her face. Roy couldn't help noticing, as he drank, that she had a gun tucked into the holster around her waist. Then he began to choke on his drink, as he realized who was sitting beside him. He recognized her as a disguised Riza Hawkeye. They had been separated, along with the rest of Roy's subordinates, when the war began.

"You alright, there?" the bartender asked Roy, once he had composed himself, and Roy nodded, and turned to Riza.

"What affiliations do you have with the military?" he asked her trying to act natural.

"Do I have to have affiliations with the military to think highly of them?" she questioned.

Roy smirked and tossed the money he owed for the drink, to the bartender. "No, but most only think highly of the military because they do." He started towards the door, and turned back to her, and winked.

Once he got outside, he disappeared into the shadows of the alley next to the bar, and waited for Riza to come out. He thought about what the other customers had said about Fullmetal, and Roy's brow wrinkled in worry.

Suddenly he heard a voice say, "Sir, you shouldn't do that. You'll get permanent worry creases on your forehead."

"Riza..." Roy started, but Riza cut him off saying, "Not out here, Roy. Let's go somewhere more private." Roy nodded, and led her down the street to his apartment.

They got there rather quickly, and once Riza closed the door behind her, all tension was eased, and both felt safe enough to talk without boundaries. "I didn't know what happened to you when we were separated in Creta!" Roy exclaimed at once. "You don't know how worried I was."

Riza smiled and told him, "You shouldn't worry about your subordinates, Roy. It'll drag you down."

"A true king cares about his people, and if I'm to be Fuhrer someday, I have to be the best that I can be. If worrying about people I care about will drag me down, then I guess I'll just have to deal with it" Roy exclaimed, looking grim.

Riza smiled. "So, I've hear about why the great Flame Alchemist is hiding. He committed an act of treason by allowing Fullmetal to escape with a prized possession of the Fuhrer's" she stated. "Now, I couldn't help but wonder what that possession might be."

Roy's grim expression didn't change, although Riza could have sworn that a dark shadow crossed his face. He remained silent for what felt like an eternity to Riza before he mouthed, "The Philosopher's Stone."

Riza's eyes narrowed, and asked him, "How on earth did the Fuhrer get his hands on that?"

"He created it with citizens from Creta", Roy said, as he paled. "I was there, helping. I should know. The main ingredient for creating the stone is living humans." Riza sharply inhaled, and turned her gaze towards the ground.

Nobody spoke for a while. Then Riza said, to break the silence, "Edward did use the stone. I know for a fact that Alphonse Elric is human. I saw him with my own eyes when they had captured him. I couldn't tell who it was at first, but his appearance resembled that of Edward's, so I knew it had to be him."

"So they finally accomplished their goal", Roy said, his expression unchanging, still. "I still need to know a couple things. First of all, where are Havoc, Fuery, Breda, and Falman? Don't tell me they're still fighting in that war. Secondly, why are you disguised? It's not like you committed a crime, like I have."

Riza glanced up at him, and looked into his fierce eyes. She explained, "I know that Fuery isn't in the war. He left when I did, to be with his family, instead of having to dirty his hands with the killings of innocent souls. I'm sorry to say, but Falman was shot in the back, and although there were many hospitals, all of them were full, so he died of blood loss." Roy sighed, and closed his eyes, while taking a deep breath, as if bracing himself for the rest of the news. He gestured for her to continue. "That's all I know, sir. Havoc and Breda's whereabouts are still unknown." Roy nodded.

"You still haven't answered my other question", Roy said, when Riza stopped talking.

She looked at her feet, as if ashamed. Then she began, "I quit working for the military. The Fuhrer knew that I had connections with both you and Ed, so he was going to try to force answers out of me about you two, and where you two were hiding. As long as I was working under him, he knew where I was, so I got out of there and hid."

Roy lifted her chin up so that she could make eye contact with him. Then he smiled at her and told her, "You did good, Riza." Then he pulled her to him, and she rested her head on his chest. He kissed the top of her head lightly. "You don't know how much I missed you, when we were separated", Roy whispered in her ear. Roy himself didn't even realize how true that statement was. He _had_ missed her, and now that she was back where he knew where she was, he would make sure that no harm would come to her.

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Thanks for reading! ;) The more reviews I get, the faster I'll update. Also, I'm taking suggestions for what you guys want to happen next in the story. Please review, and chapter 3 will be out in a while. ~ m00nl1ghtshad0w


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:**I do not own any part of FMA. Here's chapter 3! I hope you guys like it, and please review if you get a chance. Thank-you if you already have reviewed. I really appreciate it! Reviews just make my day! Sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes, and if you come across any confusing parts that you don't understand. Feel free to give me any suggestions you might have on what you want to happen next. I probably won't turn any away, unless they conflict with the ending I have planned for the story. Enjoy!

* * *

Alphonse waited patiently in the chair next to the bookshelf, for the servant to deliver his breakfast. Once the man came to the door, Al planned to sneak a peek into the hallway and find out an escape route he could take if he could break the wall.

When he heard the familiar knock on his door, he jumped up to greet the servant. The door opened, and before Al could reach it, the man slipped the food in, and slammed it shut. Al growled in anger. He had one chance and he blew it! His stomach rumbled, so he took the tray of food, and set it on the bed. On the tray there were two steaming basted eggs, perfectly toasted bread with a fine layer of butter spread on it, a couple slices of crispy bacon, a cup of ice cold water, and a side dish of frozen yogurt and fruit. It smelled so good, that Al began to dig in, but stopped suddenly when he noticed something unusual. There was an envelope placed underneath the silver goblet that held the ice cold water.

Al carefully pulled it out, without knocking over the goblet, and opened it. There was a letter inside, written in red ink that resembled blood. It read: _Dearest Alphonse Elric, I, Fuhrer King Bradley, have invited you to dine with me this evening. I will send a servant to fetch you, and you will be delivered to my dining chambers. You will not only be dining with me, but some very important militants as well, including many of the higher-ups, so be on your best behaviour. We will be discussing some very important things that involve you and your brother. Sincerely, Fuhrer President King Bradley. _

Alphonse's stomach filled with butterflies, a sensation he hadn't experienced since he had tried to bring his mother back. _Dining with the Fuhrer?_ _Talking about brother? _He shivered, and placed his tray of food on the ground. He had lost his appetite, and knew that he wasn't going to be gaining it back any time soon.

* * *

"Are you sure you're ready, Ed?" Winry asked, nervously. His wound was close to being healed, and he was attempting alchemy for the first time in days.

He nodded. "Winry, it's just alchemy. It's not like I'm lifting weights or anything."

"I know", she replied, sullenly. "But it's just that it's hard for you to move your arm, and alchemy takes up energy that you don't have right now."

Ed rolled his eyes. "I've got to get to Al as quickly as possible, and this is already taking up valuable time."

Winry sniffled, and nodded. Edward clapped his hands together, wincing at the pain that only a slight movement caused, and he placed them onto the floor of the church. Blue lights appeared as an alchemic reaction occurred, and, when it was finished, the result was a wooden sword made out of the church's wood flooring.

Ed's breathing was heavy, and there was sweat on his brow. Winry patted his shoulder, and asked, "Are you alright?"

Ed smirked and answered, "Yeah, I'm fine. That was great. I can't believe how much I've missed doing alchemy, and it's only been a few days."

Winry was unusually quiet, and looked depressed. "You're still not upset about the incident with Al, are you Win? I told you I don't blame you, and I'll rescue him, I promise", Ed comforted.

"It's not that. I was wondering how you plan to get Al out safely without getting yourself killed in the process. You also can't let the Fuhrer get a hold of the stone. Who knows what he plans to do with it?" Winry shuddered.

Ed replied, "I don't know what I am going to do yet, but I promise that I won't get myself killed and I promise to get Al out of there alive. Also, if you want, I can promise to _try _to not let the Fuhrer get the stone in his possession, but that might be the only way to free Al."

Winry nodded, and Ed could swear he saw a weak smile flutter to her face, before it disappeared to leave the blank stare that she has worn since she told Ed about Pinako's death. Edward continued with, "When I leave, you have to promise not to get yourself caught be anyone who could be linked to the military. You could be a valuable hostage, and I can't have you in any sort of danger."

"When are you leaving?" she asked him.

"Hopefully tonight. I don't know where I'm going, or what I'm going to do, but somehow, I have to save Al. If I don't act soon, the Fuhrer will most likely hurt him. He just got his body back, and I don't want him to have to experience too much pain too quickly. He might go into shock, or the pain he feels might hurt much more than it would for a normal person, just because he's not used to it."

Winry closed her eyes tightly, holding back the pool of tears that had formed when Ed said that Al might be hurt. "Leave now", she mouthed.

Ed appeared puzzled. "Are you sure, Winry?"

"I don't want you to go, but I don't want them to hurt Al. I'm scared for him, and he's probably scared, too. We can't keep him in danger like this. So, please, hurry and rescue him", she explained.

Edward nodded. "Yeah, I'll rescue him for sure. Take care of yourself Winry. Stay hidden, and keep out of site. Don't let anyone know where you are. I promise I'll make everything better."

Winry didn't respond, so Ed turned to leave. But, suddenly, Winry grabbed his shoulders, spun him around, and slammed her lips onto his. At first he struggled, but then he relaxed into it. It was his first kiss.

Her lips parted slowly, and Ed stuck his tongue inside, exploring her mouth. He was unsure at first, but, somehow, instinct overtook him and he knew what to do.

Winry entwined her fingers in his hair, and Ed stroked her hair. They were so close and their breathing was so heavy. Then, simultaneously, they both pulled away, and pulled each other into a tight hug. Winry sobbed into his shoulder, "Don't get hurt Ed."

"I won't", he replied, releasing her, and leaving her. She fell to her knees and watched him walk away, not sure if she'd ever see him again. She wiped her eyes, with her sleeve and waited until he was out of sight before she started to cry again. _Goodbye Ed_, she thought.

Ed left her, and he heard her sniffle. He wanted to go and comfort her, and tell her that everything would be fine, but he was scared that if he seen her, he wouldn't be able to leave her. He tried to focus on thinking about Al, but the thought of the kiss kept floating to the surface of his mind. _Goodbye Win_, he thought, and he gathered himself up to face the oncoming wave of fear that hit him so hard that he almost fell over. He was so scared. What would the Fuhrer do when he had Ed and the stone? What was he doing to Al right now? Despite the fear, guilt and stress that overwhelmed him, Ed walked on, and didn't turn back.

* * *

Roy bolted up in his bed, sweat dripping off his forehead and down his back. _It was just a nightmare_, he told himself, over and over again. When his breathing became easier again, and his heart stopped pounding, he looked down beside him to see a sleeping Riza. He stroked her hair, as he absentmindedly thought about his dream.

_He had been in a forest, and the military was chasing him. He had had the Philosopher's Stone in his pocket. That's what they were after. He had passed dead bodies of the soldiers who had supported him. They had been slaughtered. He passed the bodies of Havoc, Falman, Breda, Fuery, and even Hughes. He has stopped running when he had seen the Fuhrer in front of him. In Bradley's arms was an unconscious Edward. The Fuhrer was holding a knife to his throat, and on the ground next to them lay Alphonse Elric's slaughtered human body, and an empty suit of armor beside it. The Fuhrer ordered Roy to give him the stone, but before Roy could even process the thought, the Fuhrer plunged the knife into Ed, and Ed's eyes went wide, and then blank. _

_Then, Riza appeared next to him, and said, "Give me the stone, Roy." She held a gun to his head, and he reached into his pocket for it, but it wasn't there. Riza shot him, and that's wh_en he woke up.

Riza smiled in her sleep, as Roy continued to stroke her. She opened one eye, and sighed, contentedly, when she seen who was stroking her. She sat up next to him, and held the blanket wrapped around her naked body. "What's wrong, honey?" she asked.

Roy smiled and shook his head. "Nightmare", he replied.

Riza nodded, and wrapped her arms around his naked body. "Are you alright now?"

"Yeah..."

"Good, good." She nuzzled him. "What are you thinking about?"

"Actually, I was thinking about Fullmetal. I'm scared that, because Alphonse is captured, he'll do something reckless to get him back."

Riza sighed. "You're scared he's going to give the Philosopher's Stone to the Fuhrer, aren't you?"

Roy shook his head. "I know that I have to trust that he'll do the right thing, but I just can't... I'm going to take a shower and get dressed."

"Okay" Riza said, slipping on her housecoat and slippers. "I'll prepare some breakfast."

"Sure, you do that..." Roy agreed, not really paying attention. She started to leave the room, but Roy called to her, "Riza, I think I'm going to try to find Fullmetal, and help him get his brother back safely, and without getting himself killed."

"Sir..."

"I heard that he was spotted in Resembool, so I'll start by looking in that area."

"Sir..."

"I'll make sure that Fuhrer doesn't get his hands on the stone."

"Roy..."

"I gave up a lot to keep that stone from getting into the wrong hands, and I won't let Fullmetal ruin all my hard work, and let all that I did be in vain."

"ROY!"

"What?"

"You're not going alone. I'm coming. Edward is not the only one who does reckless things around here", Riza exclaimed.

"Fine", Roy replied. "Be ready to leave here in half an hour."

"Right", Riza exclaimed. She saluted Roy, and they both smirked.

* * *

Alphonse heard footsteps coming down the hallway towards his room, and he swallowed his fear. He couldn`t stop trembling as the lock clicked open, and the handle turned. The door swung open, and revealed a sullen looking Havoc.

"Havoc...?" Al asked. "Is that you?"

"I should be asking you that, kid. You are Alphonse, aren't you?"

"Yeah, Ed used the stone and got my body back."

"So I heard", Havoc replied. "You look a lot like Ed, you know."

"We _are _brothers, you know."

"I'm here to bring you to the Fuhrer, so you can dine with him."

"I know..." Al whispered, and he hugged himself.

"He's not going to hurt you, yet, kid. He's giving your brother about a week to act, before he'll decide to do anything to you."

"What do you mean by _act_?" Al asked.

"No time to explain. You have to be there in 10 minutes" Havoc explained.

"Will _you_ be there?" Al asked.

"No, I'm not one of the higher-ups, so I won't be dining with you guys. Now, we've got to get going. We'll talk more afterwards, got it kid?" Havoc said.

"Okay..." Al agreed, and followed Havoc down the hallway. Al made a mental note of all the exits from the hallway, but he couldn't escape yet. There was a soldier guarding every door. He memorized the way to the dining chambers, and exits and passages leading from there. He knew that, outside of his room, he would be able to perform alchemy.

Once they arrived at the destination, Havoc swung open the double doors. Behind them was a huge room, with a long table seated for fifty people or more, at least. Every seat along the sides of the table was occupied by a soldier, and at one of the heads of the table sat the Fuhrer. The other head of the table was empty and obviously reserved for Al.

The table was covered with magnificent dishes, even better than the food that he was served in his room, which was really delicious. His stomach growled, since he hadn't eaten anything all day. "Good luck", Havoc whispered, as he gestured for Al to enter.

Al stepped in, and the doors slammed behind him. "Nice of you to join us", said the Fuhrer, and all the other's murmured in agreement. Al slowly walked to the empty chair, and sat down, as all the eyes in the room watched. He took a deep breath, and prepared himself for what was to come.

* * *

Winry woke with a start. She had fallen asleep while sitting on an old, rotting pew in the church. She stretched, and yawned, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She looked around the room for Ed. "Ed...?" she called out, but then she remembered that he had left.

Suddenly, she felt horrible. She was overcome with fear for her best friends, grief for her grandmother's passing, loneliness, and guilt. She sighed, and stood up.

Her clothes were filthy, as were her hands, face, hair, and pretty much everything. She probably stunk, for she hadn't showered in a week. She hadn't eaten much in days, nor drank much. How could Ed have stood being around such a filthy person? She didn't believe that he hadn't noticed, or that he didn't care.

What was she going to do now? There was nothing to do but wait for Ed and Al to come back, something she had spent the majority of her life doing. Winry sighed. She wanted, so desperately, to give her grandmother a proper burial, or at least a tombstone.

She suddenly got an idea. Ed had only told her to stay hidden. He didn't say that she couldn't leave the church. She would go to where she buried her grandma, and she would make a tombstone for her. Then, maybe, she would go back to her house and get something to eat, or sleep there during the night, where she would be warm and comfortable.

She left the church, and the chill of the night air hit her. She shivered, and her teeth chattered uncontrollably. She hurried to the spot behind her house where she had buried Pinako.

Upon looking around, Winry discovered a nice, big rock, which she placed on top of her grandmother's grave. With another sharp rock, she carved into the tombstone: _Pinako Rockbell, loving mother and grandmother, praised automail mechanic, will be missed dearly by loved ones._

She wiped the sweat off her brow, after her hard work. Then she cursed herself when she realized that she hadn't included the year of birth and death on it. _Oh well_, she thought, _I don't know what year she was born anyway_.

She heard footsteps behind her, and her eyes went wide. She slowly turned around, and seen that it was only Den.

"Oh, Den!" she exclaimed. "I am so glad you're safe." Den nuzzled the hand that was stroking her. "Let's go home", Winry said, kissing the top of Den's head.

They walked together towards the home, and once inside, Winry inspected the damage caused by the soldiers that had invaded. Only the main floor was ruined. She and Den headed to Winry's room, and the both snuggled up on the bed together. It was so comfortable compared to the cold, hard, damp, floor she had been sleeping on.

She was resting peacefully for a short while, until she heard someone enter in the front door. She heard voices arguing, and she realized she wasn't the only one in the house anymore...

* * *

So... how was it? Please review, and I'll be updating as soon as I can. ~m00nl1ghtshad0w


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